Shared web hosting is a good option for businesses looking to keep costs down. A shared web hosting provider will host multiple sites, owned by multiple customers, on one server. The site owners share the costs of operating the server, so pricing is much lower than VPS or dedicated hosting, usually less than $10 per month. However, site owners are also sharing the server’s ability to transfer data, which means your site’s performance can be slow if one or more of your hosting neighbors experience a traffic spike.
Today, HostGator is known for its budget-friendly hosting plans that web entrepreneurs and businesses of all types are leveraging to build online presence. The host’s proprietary website builder provides a drag-and-drop environment and a wide range of templates that make getting a site up and running a cinch. HostGator also gives customers access to a number of CMS and eCommerce platforms, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento, among others.
Until 1991, the Internet was restricted to use only "...for research and education in the sciences and engineering..."[1][2] and was used for email, telnet, FTP and USENET traffic—but only a tiny number of web pages. The World Wide Web protocols had only just been written[3][4] and not until the end of 1993 would there be a graphical web browser for Mac or Windows computers.[5] Even after there was some opening up of internet access, the situation was confused until 1995.[6]

Investing in a virtual private server, or VPS hosting, can be a nice middle ground between shared and dedicated server hosting. As is the case with shared hosting, a VPS host hosts multiple sites per server, but fewer sites are on each server. This raises the cost, but it’s still less expensive than most managed web hosting services or renting your own dedicated server.

In particular, Web Hosting Hub uses BoldGrid as a site builder. BoldGrid is actually an add-on to WordPress, so there's no lock-in. This overcomes the major problem of most site builders: you're locked into that host and that tool, often requiring you to completely rebuild your site if you want to expand. By using a WordPress-based solution, all of the rather considerable power of WordPress is available for future expansion.
Today, HostGator is known for its budget-friendly hosting plans that web entrepreneurs and businesses of all types are leveraging to build online presence. The host’s proprietary website builder provides a drag-and-drop environment and a wide range of templates that make getting a site up and running a cinch. HostGator also gives customers access to a number of CMS and eCommerce platforms, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento, among others.
Managed hosting: Some companies with ample IT resources may choose to manage their own VPS or dedicated servers. However, due to time or staff constraints, or simply for convenience, you can opt for a managed hosting plan. The provider offering the web hosting service will handle server administration, including security, backups, and systems management and monitoring.
People often think that a web host is the main cause of a slow website but, this is often not the case. When picking a provider, it's important for find a hosting provider that is close to your users and has a good amount of RAM and fast CPU power. Beyond that, it's often the way the website is set up that slows it down for users. To ensure that your website speed is optimal for users you need to make sure you pay attention to the following:

If you’re planning to run a blog, a straightforward content website, or a website with a combination of functionalities — like a blog with a store — your best bet is probably a content management system like WordPress. This would provide a stable and flexible platform for doing a number of different common business activities online. Two other popular options in this category are Drupal and Joomla.

The company's entry-point pricing is extremely low, and while this will buy you up to three years of very low-cost hosting, do be aware that its post-promotion price will increase substantially, putting its subsequent year pricing more in line with the rest of its competitors. That said, we liked its 24/7 phone customer support, SSD support on some plans and 30-day money-back guarantee.
Until 1991, the Internet was restricted to use only "...for research and education in the sciences and engineering..."[1][2] and was used for email, telnet, FTP and USENET traffic—but only a tiny number of web pages. The World Wide Web protocols had only just been written[3][4] and not until the end of 1993 would there be a graphical web browser for Mac or Windows computers.[5] Even after there was some opening up of internet access, the situation was confused until 1995.[6]
Source: Hosting Tribunal (2019)Getting reliable hosting is the most important decision you will make: without it, even the best-crafted site won’t make any sense. Adjusted to your scope of operations, hosting will eliminate the risk you’re taking by adhering to free-to-use networks and services, and put you in absolute control over how your data is accessed and managed. Better yet, paid-for hosting unties your hands to brand a website as you want it, and use all the tools and plugins that can help your business. Meantime, hosting pulls the strings of all key performance metrics such as the site’s promotion on search engines and its loading speed.The king of all benefits will nonetheless remain security—unless you’re ready to bounce off attacks and intrusions all by yourself.Which are the best web hosting companies? There is no standardized answer to this question, as each site owner has a unique list of requirements a service must respond to. At the beginning of this demanding process, however, we should shortlist the systems that cater to our needs, which we can afford.1. InMotion HostingInMotion Hosting also pleases clients with reliable hosting tools (cloud, VPS, dedicated), but also offers web design and development services for users who’d rather have their online journey launched from a single dashboard. Depending on the website you’re creating, you can consider one of their business-exclusive hosting packages, or have the service optimized WordPress performance or upselling.InMotion prides itself on its commitment to open source and features sponsorship with three platforms next to one with WordPress (Joomla, b2evolution, and PrestaShop). It is also a suitable choice for developing and growing business as it is very scalable and makes the transition to a different package seamless. It may be of interest that they work with PCI compliant data servers and constantly invest in new technology, and have been praised all over user forums for being professional and supportive.
The company also offers higher-end Windows and Linux servers, available with Plesk and cPanel respectively. We were very intrigued to see that the company offers low-end Atom-based dedicated servers as well as the more traditional Xeon-based machines. One great resource for those doing some basic experimentation, or site development, is that it has a free, three-month trial for one of its lightly equipped Atom servers.

Website builders bring a coding-free web design experience. Rather than beating your head against the keyboard as you attempt to understand HTML and CSS, you can point your mouse and click on various areas of your website within a web browser and drag site elements, such as images and text boxes, into place. The visual you see in your editing preview window mirrors what visitors will see on the frontend of your site.

Which of These Web Hosting Companies is for You?If you plan to start your ecommerce business or stay in business for long, if you already have one, then a reliable web hosting service is simply a must. This includes dependability in terms of hardware and software.Sturdy-built data warehouse structures, cutting-edge environment protection systems, and the most stringent safety and security measures should also figure in the final reckoning.For these reasons, you cannot go wrong with InMotion Hosting, which leads the web hosting candidates here. Its 30-day money-back guarantee gives you ample time to see out how the company delivers on its promises. You can test how everything fits your requirements when you visit the Hostinger website.

If you’re planning to run a blog, a straightforward content website, or a website with a combination of functionalities — like a blog with a store — your best bet is probably a content management system like WordPress. This would provide a stable and flexible platform for doing a number of different common business activities online. Two other popular options in this category are Drupal and Joomla.
Rather than storing data on physical servers, cloud customers are hosted on a connected network of virtual machines. The service is software-independent and perfect for folks who benefit from high availability and on-demand, pay-as-you-go resources. Ranked #1 for cloud-based VPS hosting, InMotion offers performance-enhancing SSDs, free data backups, and managed server options.
Sean Garrity is a Managing Editor at HostingAdvice with more than 10 years of experience researching, writing, and editing for numerous industry-specific trade publications. At HostingAdvice, Sean is charged with orchestrating the site’s content production, overseeing a team of writers, and ensuring the quality of feature and how-to articles. His goal is to keep organizations and entrepreneurs informed on the latest trends and technologies that can help them streamline operations and thrive online. When he isn’t wrapped up in discussions with experts, you can find Sean in front of his monitor, looking for what’s coming next in the fast-changing tech landscape.
For more than a decade, Jeffrey L. Wilson has penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including 1UP, 2D-X, The Cask, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He now brings his knowledge and skillset to PCMag as Senior Analyst. When he isn't staring at a monitor (or two) and churning out web hosting, music, utilities, and video game copy, Jeffrey makes comic books, mentors, practices bass and Jeet Kune Do, and appears on the odd podcasts or convention panel. He also collects vinyl and greatly enjoys a craft brew. You can a find Jeffrey online at jeffreylwilson.net, or send him a tweet at @jeffreylwilson
Once you choose your provider, it's time for you to open an account with the monthly plan that fits your needs. If you still have questions about which plan is suitable for you, call its customer support staff and have them assist you through the registration process. Companies will generally charge a credit card on a monthly basis, however, some companies will also offer discounts for paying a yearly payment at once.
The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with minimal processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service free to subscribers. Individuals and organizations may also obtain Web page hosting from alternative service providers.

14. FasthostsFasthosts is another reliable and secure hosting/domain provider trusted by top brands around the world. It lets you build professional websites and e-Shops, host and manage existent ones, or use any of its well-known hosted email or Microsoft exchange services. In addition to the standard root, cloud, and dedicated servers, Fasthosts is one of the very few players in the arena that lets you launch managed stacks and ready-to-use apps on the CloudNX platform for cost- and scale- efficiency. Dedicated server users will also get free SSL certificates and tools to control their online performance end to end. In terms of security features, Fasthosts safeguards your data and applications with Private Networks, Firewalls, VPNs, SSL certificates, and full server backups.

Rounding out the wins, InMotion offers a full 90-day money-back guarantee. On top of that, here's a special money-saving hint. In a chat session confirming pricing and offerings, the operator offered me some special prices and deals that reduced the published price by a few bucks. I was also told that while promotional pricing does go up at the end of the offer period, if you contact customer service, InMotion has a "loyal customer discount" that may bring the price back down.
Also known as a Virtual Private Server (VPS), divides server resources into virtual servers, where resources can be allocated in a way that does not directly reflect the underlying hardware. VPS will often be allocated resources based on a one server to many VPSs relationship, however virtualisation may be done for a number of reasons, including the ability to move a VPS container between servers. The users may have root access to their own virtual space. Customers are sometimes responsible for patching and maintaining the server (unmanaged server) or the VPS provider may provide server admin tasks for the customer (managed server).
As with backups, SSL certificates are not a necessary feature your web host must offer, this is especially so since companies like Let’s Encrypt offer them for free. However, if you’re looking to streamline the process of getting your site fully equipped and online in no time, the extra convenience of getting this certificate from your web hosting provider is a nice add-on.
Web hosting services store and activate all the files your website needs to function and to be active. The providers of these marvelous technologies are not only selling you the right to operate on the net but also put an expert team in charge to monitor your performance. Depending on the package you’ve selected, you might as well get backup and recovery services, maintenance, and regular updates, and bulletproof security. the best web hosting companies out there can also help create a website in the first place.
If you’re planning to run a blog, a straightforward content website, or a website with a combination of functionalities — like a blog with a store — your best bet is probably a content management system like WordPress. This would provide a stable and flexible platform for doing a number of different common business activities online. Two other popular options in this category are Drupal and Joomla.

Senior writer for FinancesOnline. If he is not writing about the booming SaaS and B2B industry, with special focus on developments in CRM and business intelligence software spaces, he is editing manuscripts for aspiring and veteran authors. He has compiled years of experience editing book titles and writing for popular marketing and technical publications.

Shared servers are the entry-level hosting option. They’re the cheapest and require minimal, if any, technical know-how. Multiple websites are hosted on a single server, and therefore share its resources such as data transfer and disk space. This can be the perfect option for a small- to a medium-sized site with fewer than 30,000 visitors per month.

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But, again, operationally it's quite strong. 24/7/365 customer support is available not only by live chat and email, but by phone. It offers free site migrations with some dedicated attention paid to making a transfer as smooth as possible. And, if you're willing to go for one of the higher-end plans, the company has put some serious attention into performance and caching.
Having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization. Clustered servers are a perfect solution for high-availability dedicated hosting, or creating a scalable web hosting solution. A cluster may separate web serving from database hosting capability. (Usually web hosts use clustered hosting for their shared hosting plans, as there are multiple benefits to the mass managing of clients).[9]
The best web hosts on the market include these web builders in their service offerings. Some include popular existing site builders like Weebly, while other hosting teams have engineered their own platforms for website design and development. For example, 1&1 has 1&1 MyWebsite, and InMotion’s BoldGrid sits atop WordPress for a more intuitive experience, whether you’re building your first site or your fourteenth.
If you're planning on selling a product, look for a web host that offers a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, because it encrypts the data between the customer's browser and web host to safeguard purchasing information. You're probably familiar with SSL; it's the green padlock that appears in your web browser's address bar as you visit an online financial institution or retail outlet. A few companies toss in a SSL certificate free of charge; others may charge you roughly $100 per year for that extra security layer.
A VPS also allows for more customization and control of data transfer and storage, and thus many business owners will opt to switch to a VPS as their sites grow. Several virtual private servers can be installed on a single physical server, and customers can take as much space as they need. Many hosts even offer daily billing in which you only pay for the resources you consume. VPS hosting essentially acts in a similar way as a dedicated server without actually being one.
Moving to another website consists of transferring the website’s files and databases, configuring your site with the new host, and directing your domain’s DNS to the new host. Once you pick a new site host, they can usually help you out with this process. The cost will depend on the host you’re switching to, but it can range anywhere from $150-$400.
10. DreamHostDreamHost is another awarded web and WordPress hosting provider where you can get your brand new .xyz, .life, .online, .tech. or .store domain. Their most popular feature is the Remixer—an intuitive website builder that takes literally minutes of your time. It will allow you to attach a fully functional site on the web without resorting to any third-party service. Design aficionados, nonetheless, should not be discouraged by the all-in-one offer—Remixer is probably one of the most flexible and ready-to-configure builders out there. It will supply them with a unique and optimized theme that can only facilitate this process. Managed WordPress hosting for an existent site is also a valid option, and so are shared and email hosting with fast SSD storage, Virtual Private Servers with ultra-fast SSDs, and flexibility with HTTP/2, Ubuntu, IPv6, NGINX and Node.js, and dedicated hosting with 100% uptime guarantee.
Hostingspell is a big fraud company. All the fraudsters are sitting there to grab customers hard earned money. I have gone through several Hostingspell reviews and saw all the positive reviews, then I purchased two hosting services from them and before purchase they told me that they have 7 days refund policy. After purchasing, my site was migrated and then I saw a third grade hosting performance. Their server remains down almost all the time. When contacted they replied 'Our upsilon server crashed due to high IO usage'. My live site remains down for several times in a day. Then I purchased 4x performance upgrade plan thinking that the issue can be resolved. But no improvement. Then I asked them to cancel the hosting and refund my money. Till then one of my hosting accounts has crossed 7 days but other didn't crossed even 48 hours. Their whatsapp agent told me that Refund is not available after 36 hours although they told me about 7 days refund policy. The intention is only deny the refund request. I will slap the agent if I got him in front of me. The fraud was clearly observed from the whatsapp chat. When contacting Sales support, they replied that after 7 days refund is not possible. Two agents of the same company told two different words. Now you think what's happening there. Please guys don't believe in their fake reviews. Don't go for cheap hosting companies. Don't waste your valuable money and time.
The company packs in the freebies right from the start, giving users a drag-and-drop site builder with hundreds of design templates, along with free domain registration, SSL certificate, and hassle-free site migration. Even better, InMotion has among the best customer service teams in the business, with 24/7 support available via chat, phone, and email.

This is unfortunate because, these days, owning a website is becoming a crucial part of running a successful business, and more and more folks are establishing a web presence for their personal brand as well. You can use hosting to sell online, store and share your portfolio, or even publish your freelance writing samples and resumé. Yet, even the basics — What is web hosting? — can be lost on the average web user.

3. CloudwaysCloudways, a managed cloud hosting services provider based in Malta, claims to be the best WordPress and WooCommerce hosting company. Cloudways aims to give design agencies, ecommerce store owners, bloggers, and developers the power to set up websites and manage web apps with ease. The platform caters to the need of individuals, teams, and businesses in different verticals such as media, IT, healthcare, fashion/apparel, interactive design studios, and entertainment.Although the company doesn’t offer a variety of hosting services, its Platform-as-a-Service, cloud-based web hosting sets it apart from other hosting providers. Besides, its array of reliable features, including SSD-based hosting, pre-configured PHP-FPM, one-click backup, and PHP 7 ready servers, enable users to create better digital experiences, maximize growth, and scale operations faster. Its service is backed by 24/7 expert support, which is available via live chat and ticket.The solution combines multiple core services such as Varnish, NGINX, Apache, MySQL, and Memcached to deliver seamless experience without impacting code compatibility. It also boasts a network of 41 datacenter locations, which make it easy to provision from the industry’s leading infrastructure providers such as Google Compute Engine, Amazon Web Services, Vultr, and DigitalOcean.For WordPress users, Cloudways is not only highly reliable, fast, and secure; it is affordable as well. The solution offers diverse pricing plans, plus it comes with a free WordPress migration plugin designed to streamline migration on multiple hosting environments. Also, as a Cloudways user, you will probably find its one-click managed services to be particularly impressive. With the one-click installations, it’s a breeze to get your WordPress and WooCommerce website or online store up and running right from the Cloudways control panel, in minutes.
Moving to another website consists of transferring the website’s files and databases, configuring your site with the new host, and directing your domain’s DNS to the new host. Once you pick a new site host, they can usually help you out with this process. The cost will depend on the host you’re switching to, but it can range anywhere from $150-$400.
Rather than storing data on physical servers, cloud customers are hosted on a connected network of virtual machines. The service is software-independent and perfect for folks who benefit from high availability and on-demand, pay-as-you-go resources. Ranked #1 for cloud-based VPS hosting, InMotion offers performance-enhancing SSDs, free data backups, and managed server options.
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Site statistics and web analytics tools allow you to view how many people have visited your site and its individual pages, as well as what links people who visited your site clicked on. This information is useful for optimizing your pages, link placement, and content strategy, and ultimately getting more people to spend more time and make purchases on your site. Other potentially useful insights include the number of databases and subdomains on your site and how much disk space you’ve used. Some web hosts provide this data for free while others require you to pay extra for certain information.

As the resident hamburger expert on the HostingAdvice team, I often find myself thinking of hosting-related topics in terms of my favorite food — especially when it comes to price and quality. In my view, a good burger should offer simplicity, with all of the parts (pickles, onions, mustard — whatever you prefer) working toward the overall goal of the perfect bite. Then there’s price to consider. I’d rather pay $8 for the burger I just described than pay $25 for a beef patty, foie gras, and lobster all clumsily smashed together between the buns. I just don’t need all that stuff.
Because Amazon‘s free web hosting tier doesn’t offer many of the features some of the other web hosts mentioned here do, it may serve us better to look at the pricing surrounding their paid services. We published an article covering Amazon Web Services’s flexible pay-as-you-go model for its cloud infrastructure service. For businesses that don’t want to commit large chunks of their budgets to hosting in the long term, AWS might be a good fit. However, the host does come in as the most expensive option on our list.
Because Amazon‘s free web hosting tier doesn’t offer many of the features some of the other web hosts mentioned here do, it may serve us better to look at the pricing surrounding their paid services. We published an article covering Amazon Web Services’s flexible pay-as-you-go model for its cloud infrastructure service. For businesses that don’t want to commit large chunks of their budgets to hosting in the long term, AWS might be a good fit. However, the host does come in as the most expensive option on our list.
HostGator offers unlimited storage and bandwidth and good support to assist you. The cheapest plan starts at $2.99/mo (with a 6-month commitment) and renews at $14.95/month or $3.98/mo (with a 36-month commitment) renewing at $9.95/month. You can host 1 website and thee plan includes generous unmetered storage and bandwidth, free SSL and a solid 45-day money-back guarantee.
Hosting that is aimed at specific CMS platforms and tweaked optimally for them: e.g., WordPress hosting, Drupal hosting, Magento hosting, etc. In these cases, the best hosts do far more than just provide the minimal requirements for those platforms. They provide a rich, and fully managed environment so your site can perform like a well-tuned machine.